At the Ice Hotel, in a modest banquet hall with a warm atmosphere, soft lighting, and simple decor, colleagues cheered and applauded as a young lady, adorned in a simple gown, walked to the stage to collect an award.
Rayna's eyes sparkled and mirrored the gleam of the accolade, proudly walked down and joined a man at the celebratory dinner. As she took her seat, Jace the man, feigning enthusiasm, leaned in, placing the wine on the table. "Quite the spectacle, darling. Your friends seem to adore you."
He observed, having to scrutinized the reactions from the applauding crowd a moment ago.
Rayna, turning to her boyfriend with a sincere smile, whispered, "Of course, it's meant to be that way."
"Ha!" A mocking chuckle escaped Jace's lips as he said, "Meant to be or how greatly negative. Some of them just thought of no good."
Curious, Rayna questioned him, "What does that mean?"
He shrugged, uncaring of her expression, "Well, I had a little chit-chat from a few female colleagues of yours. What I heard was quite disappointing, it goes that you don't deserve such an award and that you're quite the charming hypocrite."
"What? You believe in their words and unnecessary gossip?" Rayna, angry and tense, glared at him.
Jace glanced at her, then turned his face to the stage where another man was now receiving an award. His expression grew suddenly cold. "Ha..."
"Hahaha!" Jace burst into laughter, turning back to Rayna, whose eyes were fixed on his changing expression. "Oh, please. Let's not pretend that you don't deserve the award! I mean..." Jace leaned closer to her and whispered, "Hypocrisy is the least, you might have gotten this by some other means, right?"
"I've always wondered, why are you so ahead of yourself and how you always behave lately. Did you perhaps do something?"
"...Jace" She called out slowly.
As Jace eyes met Rayna's, he saw the love that once existed bow transformed into disappointment and annoyance.
"Don't say anymore. Let's settle it later in a calm manner." Her voice measured to a pleading tone.
"Later?" He mumbled, "How annoyingly frustrating can you be?"
With that, Jace stood up, leaving Rayna shocked at his abrupt action. His daze, filled with evident disgust, focused on her. "Hey!" his tone with disrespect.
"Let's end this. I can't take it anymore."
Picking his coat from behind the chair, he strode out, leaving Rayna daze in confusion, muttering, "...What?"
In haste, Rayna followed, striding out to where Jace left. It didn't take her long to spot Jace outside the hotel, attempting to hail a cab.
"Jace! Jace!!" Hysterically, Rayna called out, running to the man who stood firmly, indifferent to the woman shouting his name in the middle of the street, distressed.
"Hey, Jace!" Rayna, having stridden to him, grabbed his arms, turning him the man to face her with her might, though didn't budge.
"What did you just say?" she asked, attempting to clarify the words he had spoken moments ago.
"Sigh!" He sighed, looking down at the woman who had transformed from her once lovable appearance to someone miserable.
"You heard me well, Rayna. Let's end this; I'm calling it quits!"
"What?" She uttered, her gaze fixed on the man seemingly unbothered by mentioning breaking up with her.
"How could you possibly say that so easily?" As she spoke, a heaviness settled in her chest, each word accompanied by a sharp intake of breath. Jace, in response, only looked at her.
In the moment, memories of years of endurance, pain, and the sweet, pure love they shared, together, Rayna wondered, is it so easy for him to quit just like that?
"For six years, was our relationship so easily to be broken? How could you say such a word?"
Silently, he continued looking at her, his expression now carrying a layer of disgust that made her eyes shake in perplexity, which made her question the very essence of their connection.
"What, Jace? How could you? Was what we have so easy for you to let go? What wrong have I done? We could settle it, but how could you..."
How could he mention breaking up? No, not from him, her beloved.
"How can I?" Jace's brows furrowed. "Oh, please, I can!" He shrugged her hands from his arms.
"I can't take it anymore!"
He shouted out, swinging the tie from his neck shirt, "Rayna, you are too suffocating."
With many eyes turning to them in the street, Jace continued, "Too suffocating. I feel like strangling myself every time I breathe close to you."
"Huh?" Confused, she stare.
"Yes, you heard me right. For the past three years now, you've been doing nothing but making me look so low, frustrated, and angry at myself."
"For crying it out loud, you're now a successful woman, while I'm stuck with you like your lap dog."
"Dear..." Rayna weakly speaks.
"Oh, stop!" Jace screamed, looking up with the same expression as while, "I can't take it anymore, hiding behind a woman as her shadow, while feeling as if I've been laughed at!"
"So, I'm ending this damn relationship!"
Jace said, turning to walk away from his bitter talk.
In a stupor, Rayna watched him walk past her, each step carving a deeper wound in her heart.
She turned swiftly, "Jace!"
Rayna called, tears welling in her eyes, her throat dry as she swallowed hard, trying to struggle with the urge to cry. "I can't, I don't want to."
She shouted the somber feeling, for Jace who stopped in his tracks, to keep on walking, the falling snow of the night outside evidentiary toil of her ached heart.
"I love too much to let go!"
"Sigh," it was the cold winter that made Jace felt breathless as his body cold, he muttered, "You're annoyingly displeable as ever!"
He continue walking again, while the woman who have shouted her heart out, squatted down, slowly but strangely murmuring, "You love me, you promise not to let go, you promise me!"